Portsmouth midfielder Odin Bailey admitted to significant frustration after his side conceded a lead to draw 2-2 with Blackburn Rovers. The Championship clash saw Blackburn fight back twice, leaving Portsmouth to rue a host of missed opportunities at Fratton Park.
Zak Swanson gave the hosts a fourth-minute lead, but Oladapo Afolayan levelled for Rovers seven minutes later. Ryoya Morishita put Tony Mowbray's side ahead in the 56th minute before Colby Bishop's 74th-minute header secured a point for John Mousinho's team. The result leaves Blackburn 16th in the Championship table with eight points from seven games.
"There’s a lot of frustration in the dressing room," Bailey said. The midfielder pointed to a dominant spell where Portsmouth failed to capitalise. "We had large spells where we were having chance after chance after chance. It just wouldn’t go in."
Blackburn goalkeeper Balasz Toth was credited with several key saves to keep his team in the match, including a notable stop from a close-range effort by Colby Bishop in the first half. The draw extends Blackburn's recent form to one win, two draws and two losses in their last five outings, a sequence you can review on our standings page.
Portsmouth manager John Mousinho echoed the sentiment of missed chances, stating his team's performance deserved more than a single point. Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray highlighted his team's resilience in coming from behind twice, praising the character shown by his players.
Despite the disappointment, Bailey believes the performance provides a platform for the demanding period ahead. Portsmouth now face a three-week break for international fixtures before embarking on a run of five games in 13 days, starting with a south-coast derby at Southampton. Blackburn's schedule resumes on October 10 with a home match against 21st-placed Cardiff City, a fixture listed on our fixtures page.
The team will hope for returns from the treatment room, with Augustus Kargbo, Lewis Miller and Scott Wharton among those currently sidelined. Andri Guðjohnsen remains Blackburn's top scorer this season with three goals. Blackburn's next home game against Cardiff is seen as a key opportunity to improve their league position before the next international break.
Further reading: portsmouth.co.uk
